Chapter 125 Star Luo: The World Who Plays with EmotionsFacing Xu Jiujiu's sharp questioning, the air in the hall seemed to freeze into ice.He couldn't exactly tell Xu Jiujiu that the person back then wasn't actually him, and that the trash truly couldn't beat her—it wasn't an act.After slightly composing himself, the shock and grievance on his face receded like a tide. What replaced them was not the panic of a lie being exposed, but an indescribable, complex expression. His eyes were a mixture of pain, struggle, endurance, and a hint of the helplessness and hurt from being forced into a corner by her questioning."Your Highness—" His voice was low and raspy, carrying a bitterness that came from deliberate suppression. "You ask me why? Do you think, at that time, I had a second choice?"He looked up, meeting Xu Jiujiu's gaze again, but the usual feigned passion was gone from his eyes, replaced by a nearly cruel clarity and helplessness."Yes, I lied to you. Those Three Strikes, I did it on purpose. My strength back then had already far exceeded what I showed. I took them, then faked a heavy injury and played out that joke everyone knows." His straightforward admission caught Xu Jiujiu slightly off guard."You ask me why?" Dai Youheng repeated her question, his lips curling into a self-deprecating arc filled with bitterness. "Because at that time, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin were both fine. They were the Legitimate Sons whom Father poured all his heart and soul into cultivating, the rightful future of the Duke's Mansion! And what was I? An insignificant illegitimate son!"His emotions gradually grew more agitated, and his voice rose a few notches, carrying long-suppressed resentment and indignation. "Your Highness, have you ever thought about it? If I had shown such powerful strength back then, who would be the first one unable to tolerate me?""It wouldn't be His Majesty, nor you, but that high-and-mighty Legal Mother in the Duke's Mansion, Zhu Man! It would be her two Legitimate Sons who see me as a thorn in their side! They would see a massive threat, and they would do whatever it takes to completely eradicate me before my wings were even fully fledged!"He took a step closer, his gaze burning and his words like a knife, cutting open the cruel reality. "Furthermore, if I had approached you with such startling talent to express my admiration, what would Father think? What would the elders in the Family think? They would immediately assume that I, an illegitimate son, had impure motives—that I wanted to use the Imperial Princess's influence to suppress the legitimate line and seize the inheritance that doesn't belong to me! By then, to appease the panic of the legitimate line and maintain the surface balance of the Duke's Mansion, the first thing Father would do is completely sever all contact between us! He would send me to the most remote military camp, or even use a more decisive method to ensure I could never get near you again!"His voice was filled with a sense of powerlessness, a suffocating feeling of trying to survive amidst Family infighting. "Your Highness, tell me, in that situation, what else could I do besides turning myself into a complete 'trash joke' who was 'blinded by beauty' and willing to throw away his life and future for a princess?""Only by making myself look harmless and foolishly infatuated would Zhu Man and Dai Huabin look down on me, and only then would Father turn a blind eye to my occasional transgressions. Only then... could I protect this sole opportunity to occasionally see you and hear your voice!"He took a deep breath as if he had exhausted all his strength. His voice became low again, but it carried a heart-trembling, desperate deep affection. "I would rather be mocked by everyone, rather be looked down upon by you, and rather bear the infamy of a 'simp,' than be completely banished from your World, where even looking at you from afar would become an extravagant hope.""Silently guarding you was the closest way to you I could think of back then."After finishing this long, helpless, and tragic analysis, he fell silent and lowered his head slightly, as if he had shed a heavy burden, or as if he were waiting for a final judgment.The hall fell into a dead silence.Xu Jiujiu stood where she was, the frost and suspicion on her face having long since unconsciously dissipated.She was an extremely intelligent woman and could naturally think through these layers of interests.What Dai Youheng said was entirely consistent with the cruel and real rules within Star Luo's top aristocratic circles. A powerful Legal Mother, two favored Legitimate Sons, and an exceptionally talented but awkwardly positioned illegitimate son—she knew the dangers involved better than anyone.She looked at the man before her with his head bowed, imagining his situation of walking on thin ice in the Duke's Mansion back then—how he didn't hesitate to defile his own reputation and hide all his brilliance just to see her, playing the part of a complete clown.This endurance, this calculation—the motive behind it was actually such a desperate and humble obsession with her.Her heartstrings were violently tugged.And at this moment, Dai Youheng looked up again, the previous helplessness and humility in his eyes gradually replaced by a newborn, fiery light."But now, it's different." His voice became firm, carrying the power of a Rebirth. "Dai Yueheng's hand is crippled, and Dai Huabin's future is ruined! The future of the White Tiger Dukes Mansion can no longer be entrusted to two cripples. Father has no choice but to face me, and the Family has no choice but to consider me!""I have the qualification to fight for the position of heir! Therefore, I no longer need to hide!" His gaze burned as he looked at Xu Jiujiu, filled with unabashed ambition and longing. "Your Highness, I chose to reveal my full strength at this moment not just for self-preservation or to fight for the power that didn't originally belong to me, but because the current me finally has a bit of confidence to dream of things I never dared to hope for before!"He took a step forward, his gaze so hot it seemed ready to ignite. "I am no longer satisfied with just hiding in the shadows and watching you silently! I want to become strong—strong enough to match your status, strong enough to make His Majesty and the Imperial Court take me seriously! I want to stand by your side openly. What I want is not an occasional summons, nor a distant view of your back!""What I want is to rightfully marry you into the Dai Family! To have you become my wife!"Snow Empress couldn't help but facepalm in his Sea of Consciousness. "Here he goes, acting again! This tragic drama routine is really at his fingertips, he's a master at it, the bastard! Making himself sound like some saint of love. When you devoured the previous guy's Spirit, I didn't see you being so affectionate toward Jiu Jiu; you didn't even agree to his final wish to express his true love for her. Scumbag! Now you're quite the expert at tricking a young girl's tears!"Dai Youheng awkwardly broke out in goosebumps. Regarding Snow Empress's complaints, he could only pretend not to hear them at this moment. It was just a matter of having a thick skin!However, these words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Xu Jiujiu's heart.The previous helpless confession had made her feel pity and sigh, but this declaration full of wildness and possessiveness was like a raging fire, instantly igniting a certain emotion deep within her that had never been touched.She had always thought he was just an infatuated pursuer, but she never imagined that behind this infatuation lay such deep calculation, such difficult endurance, and now, such majestic ambition and desire.Ambition born for her, desire arising because of her.Xu Jiujiu looked at him blankly. That heart of hers, accustomed to calculation and weighing interests, felt a violent and unfamiliar throb for a man for the first time.She seemed to truly be a little moved by this heavy and crazy infatuation.Nebula Douluo in the corner remained silent, but in the gaze she directed at Dai Youheng, there was less scrutiny and more appreciation.Xu Jiujiu took a deep breath, trying to calm her somewhat disordered state of mind. She found her voice was actually a bit raspy. "You... don't be so excited. I... I didn't really mean to blame you."This time, there was no questioning in her tone, only sighs and emotion.Snow Empress shook her head. "It's over. This girl looks quite shrewd, so how can she actually believe him? This Scumbag's skill is getting deeper and deeper. Even this Empress can hardly listen anymore!">
